Su Xiaoqi had been staring at Shen Yun, bored with Fang Gu's theatrics, finding Shen Yun's handsome face more worthy of her attention.
Thus, she didn't miss the fleeting ferocity in his eyes.
Su Xiaoqi watched him thoughtfully, intuitively sensing that Fang Gu had truly provoked him, and he might be about to unleash his ultimate move.
Thinking that there was still a little time before the tea ceremony was over, she figured waiting was not an issue.
Su Xiaoqi comfortably sat on a chair that Zhang Yu had arranged for her, quietly awaiting the unfolding drama.
Shen Yun beckoned, and Zhang Lei quickly approached.
He wasn't alone; five men followed behind him.
They possessed no particular distinguishing features, except for their clear-cut looks, slender builds, and the demeanor of frail scholars.
Su Xiaoqi's interest immediately piqued. Just as she was about to scrutinize each of their faces, Shen Yun blocked her view, noticing her intention.
"Hey, you..." Su Xiaoqi was about to complain that he was obstructing her view of handsome men.
However, she saw Shen Yun gesture towards Fang Gu and gravely ask, "Tell me, what did this woman do to you?"
The man walking at the front wore a green robe. While the robe was new, his expression was listless, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for three days and nights.
His face was gaunt, his posture stooped, as if his essence and blood had been drained, presenting a decadent appearance.
Upon hearing Shen Yun's words, his previously unstraightened body suddenly straightened. He glared at Fang Gu through gritted teeth and said in a hoarse voice,
"Good, good, I've finally waited for this day, and I've long wanted to speak out, lest others fall for her tricks and be deceived."
Hearing that there was a story to be told, those who had intended to leave now stayed.
Fang Gu, however, panicked as soon as she saw the five young men Shen Yun had called forth.
Her expression was extremely unnatural, her lips bitten, and the tears in the corners of her eyes refused to fall.
In Su Xiaoqi's eyes, this was a sure sign of great drama to come.
Although a quarter of an hour had passed with this delay, she now had no intention of leaving. If they tried to drive her away, she wouldn't budge.
The stage was set, the male and female leads were in place, and it was only fitting to watch this grand play unfold.
The young man with panda eyes was named Zhu Yingcai. He was originally here to participate in the imperial examinations.
But he hadn't managed to participate at all.
This was because all his travel expenses and all his energy had been drained by this woman named Fang Gu.
His story was simple: he was from Jiangnan and was a renowned romantic scholar.
In his hometown, he often frequented the Qin Huai River area and had seen many famous courtesans.
Therefore, upon arriving in the capital, he was very enthusiastic about such elegant pursuits.
He happened to meet several young lords from prominent noble families in the capital.
The two parties hit it off immediately and began frequenting various pleasure boats in the capital.
They would spend their days studying and writing essays, and in their free time, they would take out beautiful courtesans on pleasure boats to compose poems and paint, living a life of great joy.
Originally, this would not have interfered with his imperial examinations.
That was until he met Fang Gu.
This woman was too beautiful, too bewitching, and too alluring. Once one tasted her, they were unable to extricate themselves.
Consequently, his previous scholarly pursuits vanished. He spent his days with her, having chartered a pleasure boat where they indulged in revelry.
She didn't just attend to him alone; she also summoned her many sisters, creating an ultimate haven of tenderness.
Once a person fell into this trap, they initially didn't want to leave. Later, when they wanted to do something serious, they found that this place was like a quagmire, making it impossible to rise even if they wanted to.
Thus, he missed the most important imperial examination of his life.
As for how he missed it, the young man, who called himself a scholar from Jiangnan, did not elaborate.
However, upon hearing his name, Su Xiaoqi's body trembled.
She remembered. This person, wasn't this the person written in the book who had become the top scholar?
She couldn't recall it at first. For some reason, although she had read the book, she often found herself unable to recall plot details at certain moments.
Initially, Su Xiaoqi couldn't figure it out. Later, she realized that even if she couldn't remember, it didn't affect her life, so she stopped dwelling on things that could have given her foreknowledge of the book's plot.
But now, seeing the person and hearing the name, it was like a flash of inspiration, and she finally remembered.
Zhu Yingcai, the top scholar of the thirty-second year of Xing Zhao.
But how could a promising top scholar fall to the point of not even participating in the imperial examinations?
Su Xiaoqi was filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
She was certain that she had not interfered in this matter.
She didn't even know the person, so how could she have plotted against him?
But the original plot wasn't like this.
This indicated that the matter was deliberate, that someone had intended to scheme against him, deliberately using Fang Gu to bewitch him and prevent him from entering the examination hall.
This was the best way to prevent him from becoming the top scholar.
Otherwise, with his talent, he would have definitely passed the preliminary examinations this time. Then, with his looks and eloquence, when he appeared before the emperor, he would have certainly secured the top scholar position.
But who was it? Who was the mastermind behind all this?
Su Xiaoqi involuntarily turned her gaze to Shen Yun. Could it be him?
A trace of panic flashed through Su Xiaoqi's mind.
If he had also been reborn, wouldn't he know about the original host's actions? Would he ultimately want to get rid of her?
Su Xiaoqi was not a saint. All she could think about now was her own safety.
Shen Yun was also looking at her. Seeing her unusual expression, he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
But he didn't think much of it. He assumed she was shocked by the wicked methods of a woman like Fang Gu.
He stepped forward, took her hand, and gently patted and squeezed it, signaling her not to worry.
To his surprise, the moment he held her hand, he saw that Su Xiaoqi was wondering if he would kill her.
"Wifey, stop overthinking things," he thought. How could he possibly kill her? He cherished and loved her, so how could he bear to see her die?
Zhu Yingcai finished his account. Everyone looked at Fang Gu with extreme anger and disgust.
Fang Gu's face had already turned deathly pale.
She looked at Zhu Yingcai fearfully.
This person, wasn't this person already driven out of the capital? That person had promised her that he would never bother her in the capital again.
How did he get in?
"You, how did you get in?" Fang Gu, in her fright, lost her composure and inadvertently revealed her true thoughts.
After speaking, she immediately reacted and quickly covered her mouth.
As soon as these words were uttered, those who had previously suspected Zhu Yingcai of lying were instantly convinced of his words and began to accuse Fang Gu.
People are like this. They can tolerate a talented scholar who cannot control his desires and engages in improper relationships, calling it scholarly romance.
But they cannot forgive a woman for causing someone to lose the opportunity to take the imperial examinations; that is considered a grave mistake.
In reality, when it comes down to it, matters of romance are simply a matter of mutual consent.
Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai—one willing to strike, one willing to be struck.
Of course, the fact was that Fang Gu had malicious intentions, aiming to ruin his future.
But as the onlookers cursed, it was entirely different.
In short, the words were as harsh as they could be.
And this wasn't all.
Su Xiaoqi began to wait quietly again.
After all, there were five people, and only the first story had been told.
There were more to come.
Another man who came forward claimed to be a fur merchant from Liaodong, named Pi Zuoxiu. His entire clan was in the fur trade.
He was ordered by the clan head to transport a batch of furs worth tens of thousands of taels from Liaodong during the winter, traveling thousands of miles.
After selling them for a substantial profit, he was eager to return home before the New Year to reunite with his wife, children, and elders.
However, he encountered Fang Gu and fell into the same predicament as Zhu Yingcai.
But his situation was even more miserable.
This was because, under Fang Gu's deception, he had used a portion of the fur silver that did not rightfully belong to him.
News reached Liaodong, enraging the clan. They sent his wife to investigate and persuade him to return to Liaodong.
However, being captivated by her beauty, he was unable to sober up. He actually struck his wife and colluded with Fang Gu to abuse her, causing her immense disappointment and pain, leading her to sever ties with him.
Therefore, he had now exhausted his family fortune, was driven out by his clan, and even his wife and children were unwilling to acknowledge him anymore.
Beauty can mislead; this man is truly unfortunate!